ID 150489849 © Aleksandr Koltyrin | Dreamstime.com

By Veronica Beltran

tracking fertility

TYH: Are menstrual apps hampering your ability to get pregnant?

Jan 21, 2020 | 8:30 AM

A recent Canadian study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology showed that one in five menstrual apps contain inaccuracies.

I am an avid menstrual app user myself, so when I heard this I had to know more. We headed over to speak with Naturopathic Physician, Kira Lewis. “”I love menstrual apps first and foremost,” said Lewis, “for my patients and women to track and gauge information on their cycle, I think they’re fantastic.”

However, she does mention that there are margins of error built into the apps, “It’s a computer software system, they’re built on algorithms and humans aren’t built on algorithms,” said Lewis.

If you are logging your period in hopes to get pregnant, there are other things you can do in order to see when you are the most fertile. One of the signs Lewis says is the most common to look for when you are gauging your fertility window is the detection of cervical mucus.

Cervical mucus has several functions, including keeping the vagina lubricated and preventing infection. As well as helping the sperm move up the cervix in order to fertilize the egg. Depending on what stage of your cycle you are in your cervical mucus will differ in consistency, the more egg-whitey it looks, the more probable your chances of conceiving.

Spruce Kings Show Home

Local residents win 2024's Spruce Kings Show Home

11h ago

CNC Board approves balanced budget

12h ago

Crime

Prince George RCMP confirm identity of human remains found at Bowron River rest area

14h ago

“After ovulation when the egg is released, that is when our body starts to produce progesterone, and progesterone actually heats up the body a little bit. So our temperature can spike from half a degree celsius to a whole degree celsius.”–Kira Lewis

Lewis mentions that tracking body temperature can help you get even more in tune with your cycle, giving you the ability to look back and see when ovulation occurred due to changes in temperature in your body.

At the end of the day, Lewis says that apps are a helpful tool to keep track of information, however, shouldn’t be relied on 100 percent of the time for predictions.